Maternity undergarment



Aug 31, 1954 E. M. BLAIS MATERNITY UNDERGARMENT Filed July 2, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

M. BLAJS AGENTS ETHEL Patented Aug. 31, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE MATERNITY UNDERGARMENT Application July 2, 1952, Serial No. 296,901

7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to wearing apparel and more particularly to an undergarment designed for use of pregnant women,

A primary object of this invention is to provide an undergarment of pantie type which is conducive to the comfort of pregnant women, the upper anterior portion of the pantie being open or deleted to expose the abdomen,

Another object of this invention is to provide an undergarment which may be used by stout women for general wear, the garment having been found to be particularly acceptable for such use in hot weather.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an undergarment of the character mentioned above which automatically accommodates itself to an enlarged abdomen while still providing for adequate support of hose, hose supporters being incorporated with the garment for front and rear attachment to stockings of regular length.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an undergarment of this character with an elasticized frontal panel which provides for a certain gentle support of lowermost abdominal portions, this panel being arched upwardly around the pubis with a view to maximum comfort while rendering the aforementioned support for the lowermost abdominal region, it being noteworthy that this same frontal panel cooperates with and forms a linking means for the front hose supports.

Another object of this invention is to provide an undergarment of the character mentioned above, which can be manufactured with a removable crotch section, or even with the crotch portion eliminated in whole or in part, it being worthy of note that the front hose supporters may be unitary with the member extending across the back and over the hips, since these portions are preferably elastic throughout their length.

A last object to be mentioned specifically is to provide an undergarment of this character which will not ride up or down, which is relatively inexpensive and practicable to manufacture, which is at once conducive to health, comfort and convenience, and which can be fabricated from conventional and easily procured materials.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions which will be hereinafter described in detail in this specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of the undergarment, the figure including a fragmentary showing of the body of the wearer and the hose supported by the hose supporters of the garment; Fig. 2 is a view of a garment having a modified front panel, the garment being illustrated in side elevation; Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views taken substantially on the section lines 33 and 1-5, in Fig. 1, respectively; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5--5 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View taken on the same line as Fig. 3 and showing a second modified form wherein the downwardly extending elastic webbing is disposed on the inner side of the panel.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the different views in the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, this invention comprises an undergarment having leg portions It, a seat portion E2, the leg portions having a seam M on their lower edges, a rear hose Suspender l6 being secured to the rear portion of this seam M on each leg.

The upper anterior portion is open or eliminated, the front panel [8 having its upper edge considerably lower than the upper edge of the seat portion l2. A linear member extends across the back as indicated at 2!], over the hips as indicated at 22 and downwardly laterally of the abdomen, as indicated at 24. The portions Zii, 22 and i l will normally be an elastic webbing or plain webbing or a combination of the web, and this webbing may be continued as a unitary element downwardly to comprise hose supporters 26, terminating in the usual hose fasteners 28. Both front and rear hose supporters may be omitted when desired. The panel l8 has its lateral edges secured to the downwardly extending portions 24. It is preferred that the stitching used to effect this securement will be located at the outer edges of the portions 24, this stitching being continued to secure the leg portions [6 to the portions 22.

The panel i8 is constructed of two layers of material, one layer 38 being elasticized, while the other layer 32 is constructed of any of the ordinarily used materials for undergarments, such as nylon, knitted rayon, silk or mesh.

The crotch section 34 is also preferably constructcd of a double layer of any suitable material such as the above-mentioned materials provided for undergarments, and this crotch section is secured marginally to the leg portions Ill and to the seat l2, as well as to the lower edge 38 of the panel Hi. It is important to note that the said lower edge 36 is upwardly arched around the pubis, so that the elasticized panel l8 has a limited area and shaped with a view to being conducive to the greatest possible comfort of the wearer. One form of panel I8 is best rep-resented in Fig. 3, and if reference be now had to this figure, it will be noted that the outer layer and the inner layer, which are substantially coextensive in this form, are marginally stitched to the portions 24, as indicated at 38, as well as to the crotch section 34, as indicated at M). In the modified form of panel illustrated at lBa in Fig. 5, the elasticized material is limited to a strip )2 extending across the upper portion of an inelastic outer layer 44, the upper edge portion 46 of the layer 44 being turned and stitched to the upper edge portion of the strip 42, as indicated at 42. The lower edge of this modified panel is stitched to the crotch section as indicated at 56. second modification illustrated in Fig. 6, the panel l8b has the downwardly extending web portions 24b disposed beneath the panel [8b, the elements identified by the numerals 24b, 30b and 32b corresponding essentially in all respects to the elements 24, 30 and 32 described above.

The character of this invention will be clearly understood from a consideration of the foregoing description of the structural details thereof taken in connection with the drawing and the above recited objects. It is obvious that all the said objects are amply achieved by this invention. Further description would appear to be unnecessary.

Minor variation from the disclosed embodiments of this invention may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of this invention, all within the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A maternity undergarment including a leg encircling and seat portion and a crotch section having a rearward edge secured to the leg and seat portion, an elasticized belt member secured to said garment and having a generally horizontally disposed back portion secured to the upper edge of a part of said leg-encircling and seat portion, said garment being supported solely by said belt, said back portion of said belt being the uppermost portion of said garment, a front panel having upper, lower and lateral edges, said lateral edges being secured to said leg-encircling and seat portion, and said lower edge of said panel being secured to the front edge of said crotch section.

2. A maternity undergarment including a legencircling and seat portion and a crotch section having a rearward edge secured to the leg and seat portion, an elasticized belt member secured to said garment and having a generally horizontally disposed back portion secured to the upper edge of a part of said leg-encircling and seat portion, said garment being supported solely by said belt, said back portion of said belt being the uppermost portion of said garment, a front panel having upper, lower and lateral edges, said lateral edges being secured to said leg-encircling and seat portion, and said lower edge of said panel being secured to the front edge of said crotch section, said panel being elasticized substantially throughout its area and said upper edge being unsecured.

3. A'maternity undergarment including a continuous elasticized belt having a back portion for extending across the small of the back, hip portions for extending over and being supported by the hips of the wearer, and downwardly extending portions for disposition laterally of the abdomen of the wearer, a panel secured to and between the lower ends of the downwardly extending portions and having an upwardly arched lower edge, garter supports secured to the lowermost ends of the downwardly extending portions, a pantie having seat and leg portions secured to the lower edge of the back and hip portions of In the k said belt and to the lateral edges of said panel, a crotch portion having upwardly arched front and rearward edges, said front edge being secured marginally to said upwardly arched lower edge of said panel, said rearward edge of said crotch portion being secured to said integral pantie.

4. An undergarment including a continuous belt having a back portion for extending across the small of the back, hip portions for extending above the hips, and other portions for extending downwardly laterally of the abdomen of a wearer, a panel having an upper edge and being secured to and between said other portions adjacent the lower ends thereof, an elasticized member secured to said upper edge of said panel, and a pantie having a seat and leg parts secured to one continuous edge of said belt to and including the juncture of the said panel and said belt,

' the garment being supported solely by said belt,

and said back portion being the uppermost portion of the garment.

5. An undergarment including a linear belt of uniform width having portions for extending across the small of the back, above the hips and downwardly laterally of the abdomen of a wearer, an elasticized panel laterally secured to said downwardly extending portions and extending between said downwardly extending portions, garter supports secured to the lowermost ends of said downwardly extending portions, and a unitary pantie having an integral seat and legencircling parts secured to one continuous edge of said belt portions, rear garter supports secured to the lowermost edge of the rear of said leg-encircling parts, a crotch portion having a frontal and a rearward arched end, said rearward end being secured to said unitary pantie, said elasticized panel having a lower edge upwardly arched to fit around the pubis of the wearer and being secured at said lower edge to the frontal arched end of said crotch portion.

,6. An undergarment including an elasticized belt having portions for extending across the small of the back, above the hips and downwardly laterally of the abdomen of a wearer, a panel secured at the lateral edges thereof to and between said downwardly extending portions, garter supports secured to the lowermost ends of said downwardly extending portions, a unitary pantie having integral seat and leg-encircling parts secured to the lower edge of said belt portions, rear garter supports secured to the lowermost edge of the rear of said leg-encircling parts, said panel having a lower edge upwardly arched to fit around the pubis of the wearer, and a crotch section secured marginally to said unitary pantie and to said upwardly arched edge of the panel, the garment being supported solely by said belt, and said back portion being the uppermost portion of the garment.

7. A garment according to claim 6 and wherein said panel is comprised of two layers of material, one of said layers being elasticized.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,059,820 Spain Nov. 3, 1936 2,575,605 Vandercook Nov. 20, 1951 2,617,990 Allard Nov. 18, 1952 2,619,645 Blatt Dec. 2, 1952 2,623,210 Chatfield Dec. 30, 1952 

